The present invention relates to a machine for cultivating the soil.
In a known soil cultivating machine, there is provided a main beam, intended to extend substantially horizontally and transversely with respect to the intended direction of travel of the machine, the main beam being constructed as a structural unit continuous over its length and having a gear box flange-mounted centrally on its underside, the gear box comprising a driving shaft extending horizontally in the intended direction of travel and driving a transverse tool shaft.
With this construction, the main beam, the tool shaft and the gear box are formed as separate components each dimensioned to suit the given machine design. Accordingly, where the machines are required to be made in different working widths and for use with tractors having different power take-off speeds, this makes machine production, and the stocking of spare parts, considerably more difficult and expensive.
Particular problems arise in the production of machines having a large working width with a correspondingly large number of soil cultivating tools and requiring a correspondingly high power input to drive them. The known construction of soil cultivating machine referred to above and having its driving shaft projecting well forward of the main beam has its centre of gravity disposed a considerable distance from the tractor, which is undesirable when the machine is combined with other implements inasfar as this increases the tilting moment to be taken up by the tractor, resulting from the combined weight of the equipment, tending to lift the front wheels of the tractor.